Message Received
by TheSoundDefense
Summary: Five years after they parted, Ash and Serena reunite at the Coumarine City Showcase. They spend their last night apart exchanging text messages with each other until late into the night. This is a companion story to Pokémon: Return to Kalos, taking place between chapters 7 and 8, but is not required reading for the original story. (Rewritten since its original publication.)


_Author's note: this story was uploaded once but I took it down, as it was clearly in violation of the Community Guidelines. I feel that this new version is in compliance with both the letter and the spirit of the law. If you feel that this story is still in violation of the Guidelines, please show me relevant quotes from a FF moderator._

* * *

Late one night in Kalos, one young woman wasn't walking through downtown Coumarine City so much as she was gliding, propelled by the incredible night she had just had. The 15-year-old Serena had thought that a strong victory in the Coumarine City Showcase would be the best outcome she could have hoped for. Instead, she had been shocked to see someone very important from her past in the crowd, watching her and cheering her on, his presence inexplicable and unbelievable. He managed to surprise her a second time after she had won the Showcase, waiting outside to see her alone, in private.

She felt her heart race as she replayed the moment over and over in her head. She saw herself stepping outside, glancing down the stairs as she heard his voice, seeing his smiling face looking back up at her, looking as if he had been waiting for this moment forever. She could still feel his arms around her as they held each other, her tear-filled eyes buried in his shoulder. After a trip back to the Pokémon Center, she had met his traveling companions Iris and Brock, and eagerly agreed to join him on his journey through Kalos. Her mind was reeling from all of these unexpected events, and as she traveled back to her hotel she felt like she was walking on air. The night was cold, but she was completely unable to feel it, practically buzzing from head to toe.

As she stepped inside the lobby of her hotel, she felt a more literal buzzing from her duffel bag. She unzipped it and reached in, pulling out her phone as she stepped into the elevator, seeing a text message from an unknown number.

_Unknown number (9:35 p.m.): Hey it's me_

She immediately grinned from ear to ear, knowing who it must be. Before she had left the Pokémon Center, she had grabbed his phone out of his hand and entered her number into his contacts without even asking; this must have been him, reaching out to coordinate plans for the next day. She started to add this number to her contacts as well, before a bad memory from her past gave her pause. As she stepped into her hotel room, she decided to go with a different reply.

_Serena (9:37 p.m.): Who is me_

_Unknown number (9:37 p.m.): Take a guess_

_Serena (9:37 p.m.): I need you to say your name_

_Unknown number (9:38 p.m.): It's Ash_

_Unknown number (9:38 p.m.): Who else would it be?_

She sighed in relief, adding his name to her phone. She sat on her bed, looking at the contact name "Ash Ketchum", before deciding to delete the last name. It wasn't as if she knew a more important Ash.

_Serena (9:39 p.m.): Ok, I added you to my contacts_

_Serena (9:39 p.m.): Just being cautious_

_Serena (9:40 p.m.): When I was in Galar someone found my phone number and pretended to be one of my friends_

_Ash (9:40 p.m.): Oh wow_

_Ash (9:40 p.m.): That's creepy_

_Serena (9:41 p.m.): Yes_

_Serena (9:41 p.m.): I had to change phone numbers after that_

_Serena (9:41 p.m.): Don't need stalkers following me_

_Ash (9:42 p.m.): Well I promise I'm not a stalker_

She grinned, feeling a bit mischievous as she typed out her reply. She felt better now than she ever had before, and with that feeling came a bout of playfulness, as she decided to have a bit of fun with him.

_Serena (9:42 p.m.): I don't know, Ash_

_Serena (9:43 p.m.): Iris said you ran all the way from Laverre City when you found out I was in Coumarine_

_Serena (9:43 p.m.): That's pretty stalkery_

_Ash (9:43 p.m.): What that's not fair!_

_Ash (9:43 p.m.): I thought you'd be happy to see me_

She giggled to herself, kicking her shoes off and lying on her bed, looking up at her phone as she replied.

_Serena (9:44 p.m.): I'm just teasing_

_Serena (9:44 p.m.): I'm so happy to see you Ash, I can't even tell you_

_Serena (9:44 p.m.): I was really touched when she said that_

_Ash (9:45 p.m.): I'm happy to see you too_

_Ash (9:45 p.m.): There was no way I was going to miss one of your performances_

She felt her heart swell as she grinned from ear to ear, rolling onto her side as she kept a grip on her phone. She knew how excited she was to see him, but the thought of him being just as excited to see her was beyond her expectations. She knew they were supposed to talk about their plans for the next day, but she wasn't about to abandon this line of conversation.

_Serena (9:45 p.m.): It meant a lot to me that you were there_

_Ash (9:46 p.m.): You looked pretty surprised to see me_

_Serena (9:46 p.m.): That's an understatement_

_Ash (9:46 p.m.): I hope I didn't make you nervous_

_Serena (9:46 p.m.): No, not at all_

_Serena (9:47 p.m.): Just the opposite_

_Serena (9:47 p.m.): I did better knowing that you were there_

_Ash (9:47 p.m.): Really?_

_Serena (9:47 p.m.): Mhmm_

_Serena (9:48 p.m.): I was more excited than nervous_

_Serena (9:48 p.m.): I've been waiting years to show you what I can do_

_Ash (9:48 p.m.): You wanted to show off huh_

_Serena (9:49 p.m.): Of course_

_Serena (9:49 p.m.): That whole performance was for you_

_Ash (9:49 p.m.): Wow_

_Ash (9:49 p.m.): Well you sure did show off_

_Ash (9:50 p.m.): I've never seen anyone perform like that_

_Serena (9:50 p.m.): Thank you Ash_

She smirked a little, wondering just how many people he had seen perform, but decided not to mention it.

_Ash (9:50 p.m.): Did you learn all that in Hoenn?_

_Serena (9:51 p.m.): Some of it_

_Serena (9:51 p.m.): Hoenn was contests, not showcases, so it was more for my Pokémon_

_Serena (9:52 p.m.): The dancing part was more from the showcases in Galar_

_Ash (9:52 p.m.): Galar has showcases?_

_Serena (9:53 p.m.): They do some years, but they're pretty different from Kalos_

_Serena (9:53 p.m.): No keys, no Master Class, no crown_

_Serena (9:53 p.m.): No stadiums full of people watching me perform_

_Serena (9:54 p.m.): Thank goodness_

_Serena (9:54 p.m.): Now THAT would make me nervous_

_Ash (9:54 p.m.): No kidding_

She sighed a bit, still smiling, but her excitement had faded a bit. As her mood waned, a burning question entered her head.

_Serena (9:55 p.m.): Ok, I have to ask_

_Serena (9:55 p.m.): Why on Earth did you leave after the showcase?_

She frowned, mind going back to earlier in the evening. Immediately after the showcase, she had been eagerly waiting for Ash to show so they could catch up. Instead, after she had worked her way through a surprisingly large crowd of fans, she found herself alone in the venue, with him nowhere to be found. She spent the next five minutes devastated beyond words, thinking that she had been abandoned, before discovering him waiting outside. It had been a happy ending, but she was still feeling a bit upset about those five minutes. At the least, she wanted an answer.

_Ash (9:56 p.m.): I didn't leave, I just went outside_

_Serena (9:56 p.m.): Well why did you go outside?!_

_Ash (9:57 p.m.): I didn't want to get in the way!_

_Ash (9:57 p.m.): You looked like you were having such a good time with your fans_

_Serena (9:58 p.m.): I thought you left! I thought you didn't want to see me!_

_Serena (9:58 p.m.): I could have cried, I was so upset_

_Ash (9:59 p.m.): I'm sorry! I didn't meant to upset you_

_Ash (9:59 p.m.): I just didn't want to interrupt_

_Ash (10:00 p.m.): I wanted us to talk alone_

_Serena (10:00 p.m.): You could have said you were going outside!_

_Ash (10:01 p.m.): I didn't want to distract you!_

_Ash (10:01 p.m.): If you knew I was waiting you might have hurried up or something and I didn't want that_

Serena held her face in her hand, groaning a bit. Instead of being inconsiderate, Ash had ended up messing up by being too empathetic and getting into his own head, which was extremely on-brand for him. Now she was frustrated that she couldn't even be frustrated.

_Serena (10:02 p.m.): Argh, Ash_

_Serena (10:02 p.m.): That is so frustratingly considerate of you_

_Ash (10:02 p.m.): I'm really sorry Serena_

She sighed and rolled onto her back again, feeling bad for him now. It was extremely difficult to actually be angry with Ash when he meant well; it was like yelling at a small puppy. She decided to cut him some slack.

_Serena (10:03 p.m.): It's ok Ash, I'm not upset anymore_

_Serena (10:03 p.m.): I just needed to guilt you over it_

_Serena (10:03 p.m.): Now I feel better_

_Ash (10:04 p.m.): Well_

_Ash (10:05 p.m.): Okay then_

She laughed as she imagined him staring at his phone for two solid minutes, having no idea how to reply. For the first time this evening, she'd manage to render him speechless, instead of the other way around.

_Serena (10:05 p.m.): Haha_

_Ash (10:06 p.m.): I'm glad that guilt tripping me helped, I guess_

_Serena (10:06 p.m.): Having second thoughts about traveling with me yet?_

_Ash (10:06 p.m.): No way_

_Ash (10:07 p.m.): Never in a million years_

Serena smiled wide, covering her mouth with her hand, feeling herself flush red. Just like that, he'd regained the upper hand in their conversation. He had never talked like this with her before, and it was taking her by surprise over and over. She already knew he cared for her, as he'd always tried to make her happy when he saw her upset, but he'd never been this forward about it. Perhaps it was because they weren't talking face-to-face that he was confident enough to act this way. Perhaps, like her, he was just too relieved to be anything but candid.

_Serena (10:07 p.m.): Aw, Ash_

_Serena (10:07 p.m.): I'm glad you can't see my face right now_

_Ash (10:08 p.m.): Haha blushing?_

_Ash (10:08 p.m.): I can imagine it_

_Serena (10:08 p.m.): Yes_

_Serena (10:09 p.m.): Which I hate because it makes me look like an underripe tomato_

_Ash (10:09 p.m.): No it doesn't_

_Serena (10:09 p.m.): Yes it does_

_Ash (10:10 p.m.): You're cute when you blush_

_Serena (10:10 p.m.): ASH_

Her eyes went wide as saucers, and she immediately buried her face into her pillow after sending a reflexive message, feeling heat radiating off her cheeks. Her heart and mind both raced at the same time, as she took another peek at her phone, needing to confirm that he had actually said what he had said. He'd complimented her looks in the past, but only after prompting from her, and he had never been as forward as this. Was he flirting with her?

It seemed completely impossible, making it yet another impossible thing that had happened tonight. He shouldn't even have been here in Kalos. He shouldn't have been at the Showcase. He shouldn't have been waiting an hour in the cold just to speak to her alone. And despite all she'd hoped for, he shouldn't ever have had anything other than platonic feelings for her. She started to worry that she was dreaming; if she was, she was in no hurry to wake up.

She eventually sat back up, glancing back down at her pillow and sighing, seeing her performance makeup smudged into the pillowcase. Right now, she knew two things for certain. First, she needed to get herself cleaned up and ready for bed, because this conversation clearly was not ending anytime soon. Second, she needed to change the subject quickly, because if he said anything else like that to her, she might actually combust.

_Serena (10:11 p.m.): I need to get ready for bed_

_Serena (10:11 p.m.): We're talking about something else after this_

_Ash (10:11 p.m.): Ok I'll get ready too_

She rolled off of her bed and headed to her bathroom, mentally apologizing to the housekeeping staff that had to clean her pillowcase.

* * *

_Serena (10:15 p.m.): How did you know I was going to be performing?_

Four minutes later, she had cleaned her face and changed into her sleep clothes, and was now tucked into her bed. While she was prepared to fall asleep whenever, she had no intention of doing so anytime soon. Hopefully, Ash was thinking the same thing.

_Ash (10:16 p.m.): I saw it on TV at a Pokemon center_

_Serena (10:16 p.m.): I thought so_

_Ash (10:16 p.m.): Talk about a surprise_

_Ash (10:17 p.m.): When did they start putting you on TV?_

_Serena (10:17 p.m.): You think you were surprised?_

_Serena (10:18 p.m.): The day I got home, Mom pulled me into the living room and showed me that commercial_

_Serena (10:18 p.m.): It was the most surreal thing_

_Ash (10:19 p.m.): I bet it was_

_Serena (10:19 p.m.): So you saw that in Laverre City_

_Serena (10:19 p.m.): When was that?_

_Ash (10:20 p.m.): Two days ago_

_Ash (10:20 p.m.): We almost didn't make it_

Her eyebrows raised as she did a quick search, knowing that Laverre City and Coumarine City were not exactly next door to each other. When she saw exactly how far apart they were, she had to suppress a gasp.

_Serena (10:21 p.m.): You ran from Laverre to Coumarine in two days?!_

_Ash (10:21 p.m.): Yeah_

_Serena (10:21 p.m.): Do you know how far that is?!_

_Ash (10:22 p.m.): Trust me I know how far it is_

_Ash (10:22 p.m.): I ran it_

_Serena (10:23 p.m.): I can't believe you did that_

_Ash (10:23 p.m.): I wasn't going to miss seeing you_

_Ash (10:24 p.m.): I would have run across all of Kalos if I had to_

Serena didn't respond, unable to look away from the message displayed on her phone, stunned more than anything else. This didn't even seem like the same boy she had traveled with five years ago. Even back then, she knew that he was more important to her than she was to him. She was supposed to be the one running to see him. How could things have changed so much?

She let her phone rest on her stomach, closing her eyes, imagining the reunion that she had been picturing for years. She saw herself as a grown woman, sitting in a giant stadium, watching Ash as he became League Champion of whatever region she had found him in. As he celebrated outside, she would walk up to him, asking if he remembered her, which he eventually would. She would tell him how he had given her the confidence she needed to achieve her dreams, and how she had become Kalos Queen only weeks before. They would have dinner together and part on good terms, remaining penpals for the rest of their lives.

She had other fantasies about how things might have gone, but she had dismissed them as unrealistic. She knew that he cared about her as a close friend, but nothing more. She knew that he would always smile when he saw her, and try to make her smile as well, but things wouldn't go farther than that. She knew he'd be happy to see her, and might have surprised her with an appearance if she was lucky, but he would never run himself ragged across Kalos to see her. At least, that's what she thought she knew. Now she felt like she didn't know anything about him after all. The uncertainty was jarring, but undeniably exciting.

She jumped a bit as she felt her phone buzzing again. She quickly picked it up, seeing another message.

_Ash (10:26 p.m.): Are you still there?_

She sighed, feeling embarrassed for letting herself get swept up.

_Serena (10:26 p.m.): I'm here, sorry_

_Serena (10:27 p.m.): No one's ever done something like that for me before_

_Ash (10:27 p.m.): It was worth it_

_Ash (10:28 p.m.): Though everyone else might hate me now_

_Serena (10:28 p.m.): Haha_

_Serena (10:28 p.m.): Not what they signed up for, huh_

_Ash (10:28 p.m.): No_

_Serena (10:29 p.m.): Hopefully they understand_

_Serena (10:29 p.m.): They seem nice_

_Ash (10:29 p.m.): They are_

_Serena (10:30 p.m.): You'll just owe them for this_

_Ash (10:30 p.m.): Please don't say that in front of Iris_

_Serena (10:30 p.m.): Hahaha_

She grinned wide, having fun again, her heart racing as she let herself get excited. While the conversation was definitely going places she hadn't expected, at the same time it felt like they had never spent a day apart. There was no awkwardness and no hesitation; despite all the ways in which they had both changed, they still felt like old friends and not strangers.

She stretched out her legs as the conversation lulled for a moment, and she checked the time. They'd been goofing around for longer than she'd planned. At some point they had to get back to the intended goal of the conversation.

_Serena (10:31 p.m.): What is the plan for tomorrow?_

_Serena (10:31 p.m.): Which is what I was supposed to ask an hour ago_

_Ash (10:32 p.m.): Well we're sleeping in, then I need to train with Snivy a bit, then we're going to the gym_

_Ash (10:32 p.m.): I think if we get to the gym at 2 pm that should give us enough time_

_Ash (10:32 p.m.): Is that going to be too late?_

_Serena (10:33 p.m.): No, that's fine_

_Serena (10:33 p.m.): I have some things I need to get done in the morning anyway_

_Serena (10:33 p.m.): I'll meet you at the gym then_

_Ash (10:34 p.m.): Perfect_

_Serena (10:34 p.m.): Are we leaving for Lagoon Town tomorrow after your battle?_

_Ash (10:34 p.m.): No we're leaving the day after_

_Ash (10:35 p.m.): We all need some rest_

_Ash (10:35 p.m.): Brock and Iris might revolt if we hit the road again so soon_

_Serena (10:35 p.m.): Hehe_

_Ash (10:36 p.m.): Pikachu too_

She rolled onto her side again, curling up, happy to let Ash get all the rest he needed after his marathon sprint. Her eyes traveled back to the names of his companions, curious about them. Part of her had wished she and Ash would be traveling alone, but a larger part of her knew that she hadn't matured enough for that, especially with the way this conversation was shaping up. She would hate for their travels together to be marred by her nervousness and awkwardness, and having two other people there would definitely diffuse any lingering tension. On top of that, Iris seemed eager to make a connection happen between her and Ash. Perhaps she was the romantic type.

_Serena (10:36 p.m.): Tell me about Brock and Iris?_

_Ash (10:36 p.m.): They're great_

_Ash (10:37 p.m.): I traveled with Iris when I was in Unova, she's an excellent trainer_

_Ash (10:37 p.m.): She takes a bit to open up to people sometimes but she's really nice_

_Ash (10:38 p.m.): She cares about Pokemon a lot_

_Serena (10:38 p.m.): She seems really friendly_

_Ash (10:38 p.m.): She's friendly with people she likes_

_Ash (10:39 p.m.): So I guess she likes you already_

_Serena (10:39 p.m.): I'm glad for that_

_Serena (10:39 p.m.): One down, one to go_

_Ash (10:40 p.m.): Nah I'm pretty sure Brock likes you too_

_Ash (10:40 p.m.): He always likes pretty girls_

Instantly, Serena was beet red again. She needed to take a minute to compose herself, feeling the texting equivalent of tongue-tied. Her previous thoughts about Iris evaporated from her mind.

_Serena (10:41 p.m.): Ash, you can't just say that to me in the middle of a conversation_

_Ash (10:41 p.m.): Haha_

_Ash (10:41 p.m.): Are you blushing again?_

She ran her fingers through her hair, completely flustered, feeling how hot her face was. He was almost certainly flirting with her, at this point. She didn't know what to think, or even how to think, feeling like her brain was short-circuiting. Was she reading too much into this, or was there something between them that hadn't been there before? The question was eating away at her.

After several long seconds, she typed out another message, her hands shaking.

_Ash, do you have feelings for me?_

She stared at it for a long time, terrified, her thumb hovering over the send button. If she sent this message, there was no turning back. If she was right, things would never be the same between them. If she was wrong, she wasn't sure she could recover from the disappointment.

After what felt like an eternity, she sighed and held down the backspace button, deleting the message. This was supposed to be a time for her to just be happy that he was here; she didn't need to rock the boat and potentially upend it. They were about to spend the next several months traveling together. She would have plenty of time to evaluate the situation for herself, and if there's anything she knew for certain about Ash, it was that he was as transparent as glass. If he did like her the way she liked him, it should have been easy for her to figure it out.

_Serena (10:42 p.m.): Keep telling me about Brock_

_Ash (10:42 p.m.): He's one of my oldest friends_

_Ash (10:42 p.m.): He was there right when I was starting my journey_

_Ash (10:43 p.m.): I've traveled all over with him, we went through Kanto, Johto, Sinnoh, Alola_

She sighed as she saw the name of the third region, still bitter about what had happened during her travels there.

_Serena (10:43 p.m.): Ugh, Sinnoh_

_Serena (10:43 p.m.): Sorry, go on_

_Ash (10:43 p.m.): What's wrong with Sinnoh?_

_Serena (10:44 p.m.): No, you finish_

_Ash (10:44 p.m.): Well he's super friendly, funny too, great cook_

_Ash (10:44 p.m.): He likes to be helpful_

_Ash (10:45 p.m.): Knows a lot about Pokemon too, probably even more now_

_Ash (10:45 p.m.): He was studying with Prof Sycamore_

_Serena (10:45 p.m.): Oh wow_

_Serena (10:46 p.m.): They sound like good people to travel with_

_Ash (10:46 p.m.): They are, I'm really glad I ran into them_

_Ash (10:46 p.m.): So what's wrong with Sinnoh?_

She felt herself calm down again as she started to respond, which she desperately needed. She had to get her mind onto a different topic, and she felt like ranting to someone who wouldn't judge her for it.

_Serena (10:47 p.m.): It's not that Sinnoh is bad, I just had a bad experience there_

_Ash (10:47 p.m.): What happened?_

_Serena (10:47 p.m.): Ok, so this was a few months ago_

_Serena (10:48 p.m.): I went there because I wanted to participate in contests, like in Hoenn_

_Serena (10:48 p.m.): And I wanted to be really organized so it wasn't frantic_

_Ash (10:48 p.m.): Right_

_Serena (10:49 p.m.): So I get a contest schedule and go over it really carefully_

_Serena (10:49 p.m.): I make an itinerary where I hit lots of contests, but I still have time to see Sinnoh_

_Serena (10:50 p.m.): I fly there and I arrive in Jubilife City_

_Serena (10:50 p.m.): Then I take another look at the contest schedule I found_

_Ash (10:50 p.m.): Oh no_

_Serena (10:50 p.m.): Specifically the year_

_Ash (10:50 p.m.): Oh noooooooo_

_Ash (10:51 p.m.): Was it from last year?_

_Serena (10:51 p.m.): Two years ago_

_Serena (10:51 p.m.): When I arrived the contest season was nearly half over_

_Ash (10:52 p.m.): That's terrible_

_Serena (10:52 p.m.): I basically ran myself ragged crisscrossing Sinnoh_

_Serena (10:52 p.m.): I'm lucky I didn't make myself sick_

_Ash (10:53 p.m.): I'm sorry, that sounds awful_

_Serena (10:53 p.m.): Thanks_

_Serena (10:53 p.m.): One day I want to go back and actually enjoy it_

She felt herself relax, happy to have gotten that off her chest. She smiled to herself, thinking that Ash was a good listener.

_Ash (10:54 p.m.): When did you get back from Sinnoh?_

_Serena (10:54 p.m.): Literally a week ago_

_Ash (10:54 p.m.): Oh wow_

_Ash (10:55 p.m.): We got here at almost exactly the same time_

_Serena (10:55 p.m.): Yes_

She let herself get swept up again, her excitement growing. She thought once again about the moment where she had seen him on the stairs outside the Showcase, and the rush of emotions that had followed.

_Serena (10:55 p.m.): I can't believe you're here_

_Serena (10:55 p.m.): I'm just lying in bed smiling at my phone_

_Ash (10:56 p.m.): I can't believe we're both here at once_

_Serena (10:56 p.m.): Did you think you would see me when you came?_

_Ash (10:57 p.m.): I hoped I would but I didn't think we'd actually run into each other_

_Ash (10:57 p.m.): How often are you in Kalos?_

_Serena (10:58 p.m.): I want to say a little more than half the time_

_Ash (10:58 p.m.): That's more time than I spend in Kanto_

_Ash (10:59 p.m.): So I guess the odds weren't as bad as I thought_

As she smiled and typed, she felt a random question enter her head, one that had been bothering her for the past year. She found herself typing it into her phone and sending it off, feeling too good to stop herself, certain that nothing would come of it.

_Serena (10:59 p.m.): Were you in Kanto at all last year?_

_Ash (11:00 p.m.): Yeah I was competing in the Indigo League again_

Her face slowly fell. That wasn't the answer she wanted to see. Suddenly she regretted opening this can of worms.

_Serena (11:00 p.m.): Oh_

_Ash (11:00 p.m.): Got second place_

_Ash (11:00 p.m.): Why?_

She held her face in her hand again, knowing she had made a big mistake. He knew something was off, based on her reply. She was going to have to come clean.

_Serena (11:00 p.m.): Well_

_Serena (11:01 p.m.): Ash, I have a confession_

_Serena (11:01 p.m.): I was in Kanto last year too_

_Serena (11:01 p.m.): And I didn't try to find you_

She watched her phone carefully, waiting fearfully for his reply. Her phone remained still, as no additional messages came her way. The phone didn't even indicate that he was typing anything. She felt her heart sink into her stomach, deeply upset with herself. It was clear that she had hurt him with this confession.

Eventually she started typing again, unable to handle the silence and hoping she could stir him into replying. Thankfully, he did.

_Serena (11:03 p.m.): Ash?_

_Ash (11:03 p.m.): How come?_

She sighed in relief and started typing again, letting herself open up, laying everything out.

_Serena (11:04 p.m.): I didn't feel like I was ready_

_Ash (11:04 p.m.): Ready to see me?_

_Serena (11:04 p.m.): Yes_

_Serena (11:05 p.m.): I didn't feel like I had grown enough_

_Serena (11:05 p.m.): I told myself I wasn't going to see you again until I was Kalos Queen_

_Ash (11:06 p.m.): Why did you want to do that before seeing me?_

_Serena (11:07 p.m.): I just got it stuck in my head_

_Serena (11:07 p.m.): I felt like such a child on our first journey_

_Serena (11:07 p.m.): I didn't want to feel that way when I saw you again_

_Serena (11:08 p.m.): I'm sorry, Ash, I know how silly that sounds_

_Ash (11:08 p.m.): It doesn't sound silly_

_Ash (11:09 p.m.): Do you wish I hadn't been here tonight? Is this too soon?_

Her eyes widened at this last message, and she quickly started typing her reply, feeling a lump forming in her throat. How could he still be so understanding after that? Why wasn't he upset?

_Serena (11:09 p.m.): No! Of course not!_

_Serena (11:09 p.m.): Tonight was perfect, I was so happy_

_Serena (11:10 p.m.): I don't know what I was thinking anymore_

_Ash (11:10 p.m.): It's ok Serena_

_Serena (11:11 p.m.): I just really wanted to make you feel proud of me and what I'd done_

_Serena (11:11 p.m.): I'm really sorry, Ash_

She put her phone back down on her bed, rolling over and burying her face in her pillow again. She felt sick, embarrassed, ridiculous. She had felt anxious throughout her entire journey in Kanto, but told herself that it was for the best that she didn't see him yet; after tonight, however, she felt like she had been deluding herself the entire time, too far into her own head. She had been so proud of how much she had grown, but now she felt like she hadn't grown at all. She curled up in her bed, wanting to shrink down and disappear.

She let her phone buzz once, not wanting to see his reply yet, but when she heard a second and third message come in, she reached out and grabbed her phone again. As a fourth message came in, she read them all at once.

_Ash (11:12 p.m.): You don't have to prove anything to me Serena_

_Ash (11:12 p.m.): I already think you're incredible_

_Ash (11:13 p.m.): You put yourself out there in front of all these people and you do all these things I could never do and I admire that_

_Ash (11:13 p.m.): I'll always be proud of you_

She felt herself tearing up, covering her mouth with her hand again, the lump in her throat returning. This had been the only thing she had truly wanted: his approval, his respect, his pride in her. She felt the tears rolling down her face as she suppressed a sob, swallowing hard. For the second time that night, he had effortlessly reduced her to a speechless, crying mess, just by being his wonderful, sweet self.

She clasped her phone tightly to her chest, breathing deeply and letting herself cry silently for a couple of minutes, before she finally worked up the wherewithal to respond. There was so many things she wanted to say, jockeying for position in her mind. She eventually settled on the one that she felt most strongly in that moment.

_Serena (11:16 p.m.): Thank you for not judging me_

_Ash (11:16 p.m.): I would never do that_

_Serena (11:17 p.m.): I know you wouldn't_

_Serena (11:17 p.m.): When on Earth did you become this person I'm talking to now_

_Ash (11:18 p.m.): What person am I?_

_Serena (11:18 p.m.): This person who's super sweet and makes me cry and says all the right things_

_Ash (11:19 p.m.): No don't cry_

_Serena (11:19 p.m.): It's ok, it's the good kind_

_Ash (11:19 p.m.): I'm just trying to make you happy_

_Serena (11:20 p.m.): You're good at that_

She smiled warmly, tears still falling, as her eyes moved up to the top of her phone. She laughed when she saw how late it had become, wiping her eyes with her sleeve.

_Serena (11:20 p.m.): I just noticed the time_

_Serena (11:20 p.m.): You must be exhausted_

_Ash (11:21 p.m.): It's fine, I'm not tired_

_Serena (11:21 p.m.): That is a lie_

_Serena (11:21 p.m.): You were tired right after the showcase, there's no way you're not tired now_

_Ash (11:22 p.m.): I'm having fun talking to you_

She grinned from ear to ear again, thinking about how much he didn't want the conversation to end, even though she was certain he could barely keep his eyes open. She was all done questioning how she had become so important to him, and was letting herself enjoy it.

_Serena (11:22 p.m.): I am too_

_Serena (11:22 p.m.): But you need time tomorrow to get ready for your gym battle_

_Ash (11:23 p.m.): Boo_

_Serena (11:23 p.m.): I'll still be here when you wake up, Ash_

_Ash (11:23 p.m.): I hope so_

_Ash (11:24 p.m.): This had better not be just a dream_

_Serena (11:24 p.m.): I know what you mean_

She sighed happily, yawning herself as she stretched out her legs again. She saw the indication that he was writing out a message, and waited patiently for it to arrive. Four minutes later, he was inexplicably still typing. She raised her eyebrows at this.

_Serena (11:28 p.m.): Are you writing a really long message or did you fall asleep?_

She waited another three minutes for something to happen, to no avail. She sighed happily, shaking her head. Ash had surprised her plenty tonight, but she still knew him well enough to know he was not that much of a wordsmith. She fired off two final messages before plugging her phone into its charger, turning off the bedside light and closing her eyes, still smiling as she fell asleep.

_Serena (11:31 p.m.): Goodnight Ash_

_Serena (11:32 p.m.): I'm glad you're here_

_Ash is typing…_


End file.
